Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Around the Word

Internet Save the Queen. Over 40,000 pages of Queen Victoria’s private journals have been posted online by her great-great-granddaughter Queen Elizabeth, just in time for the Queen’s upcoming jubilee. The journals contain everything from politics to passions, beginning in 1832 when she was just thirteen, up until her death in 1901. The journals are so detailed you can almost imagine her in the present, sitting at her royal computer and updating her Facebook status. Sample quote: “Had a good night and could take some breakfast better. Took an hour's drive at half-past two. It was very foggy, but the air was pleasant.”

Dear Diary, it’s Me, Saddam. Speaking of diarists, Raghad Saddam Hussein, daughter of the late Iraqi dictator, is seeking a publisher for her father’s handwritten journals. The content of the memoirs has not been specified, but they are the only personal documents that Hussein had written by hand. What do you think is in them? Tell us in the comments.

Turn that Frown Upside Down . . . or Into a Fat Paycheck. Salon has an exclusive excerpt from Augusten Burrough’s newest book, This Is How, which urges those with dark memories to do what we normally pay hundreds of dollars in psychiatric bills for: let them go and move on. It's an interesting suggestion from the man who wrote Running With Scissors, which basically transmogrified his painful memories into a whole lot of money in the bank.

Arisen from the Grave of Past Literature. Hesperus Press is hosting a contest to find out-of-print gems to re-publish. To enter, submit a title for consideration, along with a 500-word introduction explaining why you love it and why it should be brought back. If your book is chosen, they'll publish your intro with it. The deadline is June 1st, so dig through your bookshelf now for your favorite tattered classic—it might just be coming back into style.